The voice within

As an athlete, every few hours or minutes a day you think of your sport. There is not one day that goes by that I do not think about the workout I have to do that day, or the next meal I am going to eat, how much water I consumed, or how I'm going to finish that perfect race. All of these things are important aspects of being an athlete. To not let these things run through your mind constantly, you are not true to your sport. To picture yourself running a flawless race is something that should come to mind frequently, for a runner. If you imagine it, you can make it happen.

Every athlete has an inner voice. This voice speaks to them when they are in pain, when they are at the point of exhaustion, but can see that finish line in eyes view. This inner voice, hopefully, is filled with pride. This voice appears demanding in yourself excellence, and tries to push away from failure at all costs. Failure is a driving force for any athlete. No athlete wants to have the feeling of failure, but it is bound to occur at some point in their career. Don't let it break you, use it to push your body harder then it went before. Use this feeling to strive you to never let it happen again. I have failed, and it put me down for awhile, placing my self esteem very low. It left me terrified to fail again. I have learned to make it do the opposite affect on me now. If I have a bad race or workout, I have to use that to get me fired up, and run my next race smarter,and faster. With this fear I know now how to let it give me an urge to go and push away any thoughts of giving up when I hit that barrier of pain.

The inner voice knows the difference between training and exercise. Only a select few have the heart and desire to train unconditionaly, pushing past their barriers each time they set out on that field, track or court. I have learned to listen to this inner voice, and let it push me to my limits, gaining character and courage, letting me never feel like I have failed myself again. Each day I lace up my running shoes and I think of how lucky I am to have this ability, to have my health. I look forward to dress myself with pride once again, as I will spike up and support my team mates. Knowing that I am representing the name on the front of my shirt, Lancer, not a name on the back.